Fridge Heats but dosen't cool

Someone donated a minifridge the "SI714SL2" if I recall thats the right model number, but the problem is that it heat's up but dosent cool. Some things I noticed is that the fan in the back of the fridege never spins and I have yet to hear anything internally running when it is on cold or even hot.

What is the stat? And when I put it on "cold" it get't hot inside as well as the back. So which wire should I check for. IDK what the stat isWhat is the stat? And when I put it on "cold" it get't hot inside as well as the back. So which wire should I check for. IDK what the stat is

Does the fan have a variable voltage feeding power to it? I only have 5 or 6 volts to my fan motor. That just enough to make it turn slowly.Does the fan have a variable voltage feeding power to it? I only have 5 or 6 volts to my fan motor. That just enough to make it turn slowly.

2 Answers

This fridge uses a Peltier effect cooler sometimes referred to as a TEC or "Thermo Electric Cooler".
In order to cool it must be able to dissipate heat and it sounds like the fan in the back that it uses to do this has failed.
Replace the fan with an 80mm by 80mm 12v computer cooling fan and make sure the fan blows the correct direction.
The fan will have small arrows stamped into it on one of the 4 sides indicating the direction of rotation as well as the direction of air flow.
NOTE: You can use a 3 wire fan (yellow, black, red) if that is all you can locate, just don't connect the yellow tach wire (the wire that reports fan speed to the motherboard of a computer).

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Your cooling unit is done, and will need replacement. I will urge you to take down model and serial number and go to their site, or call Dometic , ( www.dometicusa.com) 1-800-544-4881, and inquire whether your unit falls into the recall on some of those models. You may end up with a new cooling unit, free of charge.

I once had this on a kitchen aid that there was a fan inside meant to cool off the circuit board and it had died resulting in the extra heat hitting the main board. maybe check if there is a fan that circulates the air around that. As I recall it pulled air in right above the door so that it could cool the computer

TURN THE FRIDGE OFF AND DO NOT USE!!!! Your cooling unit is leaking!!!! You will need to replace either the cooling unit or the entire fridge. There is usually about a 400 dollar difference in the two. Check your model number and serial number of the fridge and call your local dometic dealer to see if it is under recall. You may be able to have it repaired for free. If you provide me with the model, serial number and serial number of the cooling unit (located in the rear through the door on the tank assembly), I can provide you with this information.

Unfortunately, you have a bad cooling unit in your refrigerator. Then ammonia smell means that you have a leak in the unit. TURN THE FRIDGE OFF!!! Do not use the fridge on AC or Gas until you have the cooling unit replaced or buy a new fridge. Depending on the model number and serial number of the fridge, it may be under recall by dometic and you might be able to have it repaired for free. If you will provide me with the model number, serial number and the serial number of the cooling unit (found on the outside of the unit in the fridge compartment, lower tank of cooling unit), I can then tell you the pricing of the repairs or whether it is under recall.

there is a 1000 Uf electrolytic capacitor on the power supply unit that was bought from a bad supplier. It's suffered a failure as they ALL did. Replacing it with a new 1000 Uf capacitor 16 volts or higher will fix it. Just remember they are polarity sensitive. i found mine at the dump and fixed it in less then 1 hour. The top of it will be bulging out and it could even leak

My side by side fridge was doing the same thing. I replaced the thermister and defrost heater. Check to see if you are having an excess of ice building up in your freezer. If you do, your defrost heater (simple little fix needs to be replaced). It looks like a mini flourecent light bulb, except has a spring-like coil that runs through it. This is what heats up coils in your freezer to prevent all the frost build up. If too much frost builds up on the coils, no air can pass over the coils which blows into your fridge portion of your unit. Depending on the type of fridge you have you may have 1, 2 or three different thermisters. These look like little probes, and they act like your thermostat in your home. (It tells the fridge when it needs to run)
Hope this helps!

69....hard to know from here. What heats up and becomes quite humid? Newly restarted refrigerators take about 12-24 hours to cool down. They should be opened very infrequently during that period, if possible.. Do you hear the compressor and fans? Have you properly set the cooling controls?